About SPACE PARTNERSHIP INTERNATIONAL

Space Partnership International (SPI), established in 2009, is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm providing hands-on support to government agencies and companies engaged in space-related business and technology.

SPI is a one-stop-shop for space-related technical and business initiatives; our areas of expertise include ITU Regulatory and Market Access, Business Development Analysis and Implementation Strategies, Systems Engineering and Design, Procurement Support / Program Management, Strategic Due Diligence, and Risk Management.

SPI brings together a multi-cultural team of experts with experience building and operating space-related businesses all over the world. We help government agencies, as well as aspiring and established companies across the entire satellite value chain and project lifecycle to create opportunities and bring them to fruition.

Team

Jean-Michel Eid

Jean-Michel Eid is a co-founder of SPI with more than 25 years of experience in space-related technology and business. His specialties include business analysis, strategic planning, international finance and risk management. Mr. Eid began his career with the French launch service provider Arianespace, marketing the Ariane family of launch vehicles to U.S.-based telecommunications companies. There he developed the company’s US marketing strategy as well as its “Launch Risk Guarantee” offering to customers.

After leaving Arianespace, Mr. Eid co-founded International Space Brokers, which quickly became one of the world’s leading brokers of space insurance. He later co-founded and served as Managing Director of Aon Space, where he was responsible for the insurance placement and risk management for companies including GE, Motorola, Iridium, SPI, MCI, Hispasat and Telecom Mexico. Also at Aon, he led the development of insurance products for non-traditional space risks for Space Tourism, Mars Missions, orbital recovery programs, assisting Iridium with unique Third Party Liability coverage as a requirement of getting out of bankruptcy, and the funding for the X-Prize. In all, Mr. Eid has been integrally involved in more than 90 risk management / insurance programs with established and entrepreneurial space-related companies.

Mr. Eid has also been involved in several entrepreneurial ventures, which include co-founding Global Radio in Luxemburg (European based satellite digital radio), co-founding Assure Space (a managing general agency for space insurance), and acquiring Radio Woodstock in the US. He has also served as an expert advisor to investment banks on telecom and aerospace company acquisitions.

Mr. Eid holds an M.B.A. degree in International Finance from George Washington University and a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University.

Bruce Kraselsky

Bruce Kraselsky is a co-founder of SPI, with over 25 years of executive-level experience in space-related industry sectors, including satellite communications, remote sensing, remote asset monitoring and control, and weather. Mr. Kraselsky specializes in international business planning and development, as well as legal and regulatory matters related to space business.

In addition to SPI, Mr. Kraselsky has co-founded and / or played leading roles in a number of international startups, including Assure Space (a highly successful managing general agency for space insurance), AfriHUB (an ICT business in West Africa that has trained more than 1.2 million students in basic to advanced computer skills), Global Radio (a European-based satellite digital radio system), GlobeNet Communications (a submarine fiber optic cable system constructed between the US, Bermuda, Venezuela and Brazil), Constellation Communications (a global LEO satellite system for mobile communications), and International MicroSpace (a low-cost space launch vehicle under contract with the US Department of Defense). He also contributed to the development of the Florida Space Authority, and helped start up the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation.

Earlier in his career, as an Attorney for the US Department of Commerce, he was responsible for overseeing US interests in INTELSAT and INMARSAT, as well as ITU regulatory activity, and played a key staff role in the development of the first US National Commercial Space Policy and the enabling environment for US commercial space activities.

Mr. Kraselsky holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, also from the University of Florida. He is a member of the Florida and District of Columbia bar associations.

Shafiq A. Chaudhuri

Shafiq A. Chaudhuri is a Managing Partner at SPI where, with over 40 years of corporate experience, he is currently focused on Asian and other international growth markets for delivering space-related consulting services. He is SPI’s Team Leader for the $300M Bangabandhu Satellite Program; comprising feasibility study, slot selection, business plan development based on regional market, satellite specification, preparation of tender documents, tender evaluation with client BTRC, vendor selection, launcher selection and program supervision. He is also involved with SPI’s HTS, SmallSat satellite programs in the Region.

Mr. Chaudhuri held senior management positions, was responsible for product development for satellite & terrestrial communications, broadband wireless, worldwide sales and distribution channels and customer care operations at General Electric Co., COMSAT Corporation, Mobile Telesystems, Inc. (MTI) and Taylor McKenzie, Inc., and was credited for sales of products and services exceeding $300M. At COMSAT, he was responsible for the development of TDMA, VSAT and Mobile Satellite products and services. In 1988, as a founding member of MTI, where he was the VP Marketing, Sales & Service, Mr. Chaudhuri pioneered the transportable Inmarsat system that was used by US, Allied Forces and CNN.

Prior to joining SPI, Mr. Chaudhuri was Vice President Americas, Nomad Digital, Ltd. (UK), the world’s leader in mobile broadband communications for the transportation sector. Mr. Chaudhuri was instrumental in closing a $39M deal with Amtrak, for W-Fi on trains nationwide. He was also credited by Amtrak for the design and installation of Wi-Fi in 2008, on President Obama’s whistle stop train.

Prior to Nomad Digital, he was an ICT and broadband consultant; President, OmniSat Communications, Inc. where he was responsible for building a new satellite operating Co; Sr. VP at Taylor McKenzie, Inc., where he managed the team providing solution to clients on IT services, telecom fraud prevention, marketing strategies, US EX-IM and VC financing. Mr. Chaudhuri is seasoned in Corporate Management, International Business Development and Sales & Marketing and has successfully conducted business in thirty-three countries, worldwide.

Mr. Chaudhuri holds an MSEE in Communications from The George Washington University, B.Sc. (Honours) EEE degree from The University of Birmingham, UK; and a Certificate on Negotiations from Harvard. Mr. Chaudhuri is the former Chairman of Mobile Satellite Users Assoc. (MSUA), past member of US Dept. of Commerce Export Council, and a founding Board Member of USBAC, an NGO advising The Bangladesh Caucus at US Congress on policy relating to Bangladesh.

Roy Kampfer

Mr. Kampfer is a Partner and a Senior Vice President, Engineering. Mr. Kampfer has more than 30 years of experience in the satellite communications and aerospace industries. His specialties include telecommunications, earth observation, systems engineering, and program management.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Kampfer has been at the vanguard of a number of bold projects that have helped to reshape the space industry, including the Motorola IRIDIUM system which introduced Low-Earth Orbiting constellations to the commercial marketplace. Mr. Kampfer was amongst the first to procure commercial launch services from Russia and China his trailblazing efforts reshaped how these launch services were provided and procured.

Mr. Kampfer has worked on numerous satellite and space-related projects his primary areas of focus have been telecommunications and earth observation. He is an expert in satellite engineering and program management.

He has worked for a several companies including: Lockheed-Martin, Motorola, Fairchild, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and RCA.

Mr. Kampfer is a graduate of Lehigh University, majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Kahina Aoudia

Kahina Aoudia joined SPI as Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs with 3 years of industry experience in international space law.

Before joining SPI, Ms. Aoudia worked for Arianespace, a European-based launch services provider. She was part of their Sales & Marketing office located in Washington DC. There, she analyzed, reviewed, and held an advisory position on launch contracts. In addition, she researched and wrote reports on the launch services and satellite manufacturing markets.

Prior to that, Ms. Aoudia was a Student Attorney for the Civil Advocacy Clinic of the Washington College of Law. While in this position, her tasks included drafting memoranda, pleadings, complaints and pretrial motions, as well as representing clients in court proceedings.

Ms. Aoudia worked in the legal department of AXA Assistance in Canada. There, she was engaged in solving contract issues surrounding merger and acquisition transactions and civil litigation. Ms. Aoudia also translated corporate legal documents and presented analyses and recommendations on contract issues to AXA’s chief legal officer.

Ms. Aoudia has a Juris Doctorate from American University – Washington College of Law. In addition, she has a bilingual degree in Business International Law. Ms. Aoudia obtained a Bilingual Master Specializing in French, English and American Business Law from the University of Nanterre Paris Ouest. Ms. Aoudia is bilingual in English and French, and is fluent in Spanish. Ms. Aoudia is admitted to the New York and New Jersey bars.

Manny Aniebonam

Manny Aniebonam is a Senior Vice President at SPI. Mr. Aniebonam has more than 27 years experience in regulatory licensing, information and communications technologies, and technical training and has been instrumental in obtaining market access and licenses for SPI and its clients. Prior to SPl, he served as CEO of AfriHUB Nigeria, Ltd., and before that as a Professor of Information Systems and Computer Science at The George Washington University. Earlier, he served as an Assistant Professor at Howard University in Washington DC, and before that held positions at the World Bank and Mobil Oil Corporation, and worked as a contractor for the U.S Department of Defense, DNA Identification Laboratory.

In addition to his responsibilities at SPI, Professor Aniebonam serves as Chairman of AfriHUB Nigeria Ltd. and is a Board Member of several ICT companies. He is also the Founder and President of the Nigeria IT Professionals in the Americas (NITPA). Organization affiliations include

Professor Aniebonam’s work in these and other areas of interest are published in several Information Technology refereed journals and proceedings. He is a long-time member of the IEEE Computer Society, was a recipient of several prestigious awards including Softworks’ Inc. Service Award for Professional Excellence, Mobil Oil’s Award for Technical Excellence, and a 2001 DoD Eagle Award for development of application software used by the U.S Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) in response to September 11 2001 terrorist incident.

Professor Aniebonam holds a Doctoral Degree from The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, in Computer Science and Systems Engineering.